Just someone in their 20's with too much free time and who loves the color blue, Sonic, Coraline, Psychonauts, ROTTMNT, Wolfwalkers, etc.
(She/Her, They/Them)
A few of the notes I make in these descriptions, as I’m sure you can tell, make more sense in the context of a game– things like what sort of puzzles you’d expect, the music that would play, but I’ve found that sometimes, thinking of it as anything else can lead to design roadblocks. I have to imagine what I’d want to see in a Psychonauts level, and do my best to bring that to life.
Continuing the exploration of the kids’ mental worlds, let’s take a look at a couple very different ones.
Wybie
“Wyborne Industries”
A huge laboratory that looks like a mix of Dr. Finklestein’s lair and Aperture Science testing rooms, with lots of grungy metal textures, dangerous-looking contraptions, and spare parts; there’d be lots of platforming and puzzles. Despite its intimidating appearance, most of the robots and mechanisms are actually helpful or friendly, and there’s all kinds off harmless creepy-crawlies scuttling around—and a certain cat. Music would be like his theme on the Coraline soundtrack, meshing both metallic and organic sounds at the same time; a mix of classical instruments and electronic.
Mabel
“Sweatertown”
‘Sweatertown’ is actually a vast land ruled by Lady Mabelton in her glorious, glittery castle. Exceedingly bright and colorful, it is a queendom of fun and wacky creativity, full of bizarre, mystical creatures and pigs. The law of the land is friendship, with everyone willing to lend a helping hand. There’s always a party going on somewhere in the castle—art, dancing, silliness, it doesn’t matter. Everything, except for some animals, is made of Mabel’s favorite crafting supplies. Music is very much 80’s synth-pop inspired.
Picturing a character’s mental world is a really fun challenge– it makes you really examine everything about them, and try to figure out how their experiences and personality might affect their mental world– the astral representation of everything they are. It can be really hard, and not everyone has traumas or quirks that easy translate into a plausible level in Psychonauts, but that’s all part of the challenge. I have plenty of trouble– some of you may remember the initial version of Mystery Kids: Beginnings, when it had no title and the Pines’ mental worlds were considerably different. While that story’s the only one I have Raz go into his friends’ minds in, that doesn’t mean I can’t imagine what he might find in the rest, and those he did visit were under stress– so things are a little different, and worth sharing here. :)
Coraline
“Coraline’s Garden”
-A large fanciful garden, with a few old-fashioned buildings in the center populated by insect people. The terrain is hilly and a bit swampy, and interspersed with weird items that represent the things and people who are important to her. Thorny brambles dot the landscape, and jumping mice scurry in the undergrowth; following them would lead through small tunnels to end in little clearings that hold mysterious items– buttons and dolls and sewing needles. The worst is a thick tangle of vines and debris, representing how much Coraline has tried to contain what lies at the center—her memories of the Other Mother. The Cat appears on occasion, sometimes giving helpful tips, others his famous sarcasm. Music would be like instrumental indie folk.
Norman
“Ghost Town”
-A graveyard-themed ‘ghost town’ where spirits representing his memories reside, surrounded by a peaceful, ethereal forest. Underlying the town is his pent-up memories of school life and his anger at it, which he tries to keep buried. Further away, surrounded by the forest, is the oak that is his connection to his powers as a medium as well as his emotional ‘heart’. Further still is his house, representing everything that’s ‘him’. Music would be ambient, haunting but not scary—a bit like ‘Resolution’ at parts, and almost silent at others, with a few ‘scare chords’ thrown in.